Curtain rod and card line pull system

ABSTRACT

A ceiling mounted curtain rod and cord line pull system. The rod has a front attachment rod with a rib on its front. A pair of identical engaging pieces are drawn along the rod by cords mounted to respective ones of them and supported on the upper side of the engaging pieces and the web. Each engaging piece is releasably engaged to draw along separate curtain supports which separably engage the rod to support the curtain.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Wilhelm Hachtel Graber 16187.4 7Nkderstenen. Germany Young 1 X [21] Appl. No. 776,017 3,095,033 6/1963Polkosnik 160/126 X [22] Fil d N 151968 3,098,520 7/1963 Greenstadt eta1..... 16/95 X [45] patented 31 197 3,192,995 7/1965 Graber eta1........ 160/345 [32] Priority Dec. 22,1967 3,329,992 7/1967 Smith eta1... 16/87.4 33] Germany 3,383,733 /1968 Johnson 160/344 X [3|] p 1 54059.3 3,430,678 3/1969 Steck et a1. 160/126 X FOREIGN PATENTS CURTAINROD AND CARD LINE PULL SYSTEM 223,130 /1924 Great Britain 160/344 14Claims, 14 Drawing Figs. Primary Examiner-David .1. Williamowsky IAssistant ExaminerPhi1ip C. Kannan [52] US. Cl 2 Ilia/firs, Anomey MRobert Kestenbaum [51] A47h 5/032 160/344,

I 123426; 16,87 ABSTRACT: A ceiling mounted curtain rod and cord linepull 9 21 1052 system. The rod has a front attachment rod with a rib onits front. A pair of identical engaging pieces are drawn along the [56]References cued rod by cords mounted to respective ones of them and sup-UNITED STATES PATENTS ported on the upper side of the engaging piecesand the web. 1,857,768 5/1932 Reubel 16/95 UX Each engaging piece isreleasably engaged to draw along 1,881,627 10/ 1932 Jenkinsom. /344separate curtain supports which separably engage the rod to 2,486,22410/ 1949 Stutz 160/345 support the curtain.

w 13 g 1 24 1 1 1. 2:1 I as 111 35 ea 61 as 1 17 I 14111,! 1 ax 1 1 i 3956 $1 as 58 61 vs 62 64. 1113 74 12 CURTAIN ROD AND CARD LINE FULLSYSTEM The invention relates to a curtain rod with a cord having twoco'rdlines, extends horizontally in the area of the curtain rod andvertically, grippable by the user, outside the curtain rod. The-curtainrod has a first deflecting device which possesses a vertical deflectingshafi, a second deflecting device which presents a horizontal deflectingshaft and two guide carriages, one of which is fastened to one cord lineand the other to the other cord line.

A curtain rod has already been proposed where the cords run in groovesspecially produced for this purpose. This makes the system relativelyexpensive, as the production of the grooves requires a notinconsiderable expenditure. Moreover, it is not quite easy to thread thecords in the grooves so that they lie correctly therein. Moreover, theadditional grooves make the rod wide. Finally it is not quite easy toappend the.

guide carriages through the narrow groove slots, and as the cordsarerelatively far removed from the running surfaces, the guide carriagesare under tilting load and therefore may jam. It has already alsobeenproposed to guide the cords, not in narrow grooves, but in a moreaccessible manner. This, however, has the disadvantage that the cordscan fall out of their guides, resulting in an ugly appearance, and whenthe cords are then pulled, it is not at all certain that they willreturn to their starting position.

The object of the invention is to provide a curtain rod which does nothave the above disadvantages and which can be used togetherwith existingcurtain rods.

This problem is solved according to the invention in that thehorizontally extending cord lines are arranged on the top side of afront attachment rod. Such front attachment rods can be fastened onexisting curtain rods in a known manner; they do not require additionalspace for the cords and carry these on their top side, so that theycannot fall off.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will i beevident from the following description taken together with the drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 shows atop view of a pull system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the pull system according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of a first deflecting device;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the deflecting device according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of an engaging piece according to FIGS. 1 and 2with the curtain rod and front attachment rod indicated;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the engaging piece according to FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows a front view of a second deflecting device with the frontattachment rod indicated;

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the deflecting device according to FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a front view of the engaging piece according to FIGS. 1 and2 with the support bodylocked;

FIG. 10 shows a section along line 10-10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 shows a top view of the engaging piece and pp y;

FIG. 12 shows a rear view of the support body;

FIG. 13 shows a section along linel3-13 in FIG. 14; I FIG. 14 shows atop view of another engaging piece.

Referring to the figures, a curtain rod 12 includes a straight rodsection 13 and at its ends two curved rod sections 14. On its front face16 the curtain rod 12 has a dovetail-shaped groove 17,into which avertical web 18 is glued which has a vertically standing rib 22 at itsfree end.

A front attachment rod 19 has two cord lines 43 guided side-by-side anddeflecting devices'34, 44. It would not be possible to pass around thecurved rod sections 14 if slots 23 had not been cut into it. Thereby, oneither side of the front rod 19, two strips 24 and 26 are formed, whichhave been of the glued together after being bent with the aid of adouble-T profile 27 as seen in FIG. 13. The double-T profile 27 lieswith L its rib 28 in the slot 23 and engages over and under the strandsIn order for sliding support bodies 32 (FIGS. 9'1l) to be slipped on torib 22, short areas of rib 22 have been removed in the area of the twoends of the front attachment rod 19 and these are closed by springclamps 33.

In the left area of FIGS. 1 and 2, a first deflecting device 34 isprovided, which is injection molded in one piece from oval plate 36 andvertically standing shafts 37. On the left shaft, a guide roll 38 hasbeen mounted. The device is secured on the front attachment rod 19 bymeans of two pegs 39. To attach the first deflecting device 34 itsuffices to provide two small bores in the front rod 19, into which theshafts 37 are glued. It does not matter which way around the plate 36 isinstalled.

Also, the deflecting device together with the vertical web 18- preventsthe cord 43 from slipping out.

As is evident from FIG. 1, the edge 41 of the plate 36 practically bearsagainst the vertical web 18, thereby preventing line 42 of cord 43 fromslipping upward and becoming unhooked.

A second deflecting device 44, very easy to insert, has an oval frame 46which possesses a curved shoulder 47, and from which four snap prongs 48protrude upward, so that the deflecting device 44 can fasten and beglued to the horizontal web 21 of the front attachment rod 19. Thereby,avery good hold is obtained on the front rod 19 and the seconddeflecting device 44 cannot slip out of place during drying. Forattachment it is simply necessary to push the deflecting device 44 frombelow into a correspondingly formed recess 49 of the horizontal web 21until the snap prongs 48 snap in. For better introduction the snapprongs 48 have a sliding surface 52.

Transversely in the oval frame 46 a horizontal shaft 53 is provided, onwhich two guide rolls 54fand 55 are provided, which can rotateindependently of each other. For better conduction of the cord,projections 56 are provided. The previously mentioned cord line 42 runsover the guide roll 54, while cord line 57 runs over guide roll 55, andboth are deflected downward together as per FIG. 2.

On the front attachment rod 19, run two engaging pieces 58, 59. On theengaging piece 58, the cord line 57 is fastened by means of knots 61,62, the respective ends being passed through vertically standing eyelets63, 64. However, through the eyelets 63, 64 of the engaging piece 59,cord line 57 runs free and is merely guided by the eyelets.

In the case of cord line 42, the situation is the reverse: It runsbetween hooks 66, 67 of the engaging piece 58 and the vertical web 18unhindered and merely guided.

In the case of engaging piece 59, on the contrary, cord line" 42 firstruns between the hook 66 and the vertical web 18,

the eyelets'63, 64, and then again between hook 67 and the vertical web18.

Thus engaging piece 58 cannot be displaced in relation to cord line 57,whereas the engaging piece 59 can be displaced in relation to cord line42 by holding cord 43 fast and shifting the engaging piece 59 to theleft or right as per FIG. 1 with a force that is not exerted in normaloperation. Then the hooks 66, 67, 68 slip in relation to cord line 42.The hooks 66, 67, 68 exert an action of entrainment by canting.

The hooks 66, 67, 68 and the eyelets 63, 64 are provided on a plate 69of rectangular form, which rests flat on the horizontal web 21 andmoreover is guided for longitudinal displacement between the verticalweb 18 and the rib 22. The eyelets 63, 64 terminate in two webs 71, 72which wrap over the rib 22 and project downwardly. At their free endsthey have snap prongs 73, 74 pointing toward each other. The plate 69further has a recess 76.

How the engaging pieces 58, 59 are connected with the sliding supportbody 32 is shown in FIGS. 9 to 12. Two lugs 79, 81 starting from a frontplate 78 grips the rib 22, while the latter engages with a lug 82. Theactual sliding surface is formed by a span 83. On a resilient member 84,molded in one piece on the front plate 78, there are fastened two knobs86,87 from which a pinched pleat hook, for example, can be suspended. inorder for the spring 84 to be deflected well, recesses 88 open at theedge are provided in the front plate 78.

When an engaging piece 58, 59 is to be connected .with sliding supportbody 32, one pushes the latter onto the rib 22, lifts the engaging piece58 or 59 slightly, which can be best done by pivoting it slightlycounterclockwise as per FIG. 10 and with a center of rotation at 89,then bringing the sliding support my 32 under the webs 71, 72. Then oneagain pivots clockwise. The webs 71, 72 slip with their snap prongs 73,74, along the side faces of the sliding support body 32 and finally lockunder the latter.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a guide rib 91 which grows upwardly out of thetransverse rib 31. On this guide rib 91 the engaging piece 58 is guidedby means of a saddle 92. In order to make it readily possible to goaround bends, curved springs 93 are provided in the saddle 92. The guiderib 91 prevents the cord 43 r from falling off the front attachment rod.

At variance with the previously shown example, two shoulders 94, 96 areprovided in the back of the saddle 92 which have openings 97, 98. Theseagain serve, as before, to guide or fasten the two sections.

The invention has a number of advantages: With the curtain rod one can,as previously, push the support bodies onto the front attachment rod andonly then interlock the frontmost support body of a curtain with therespective engaging piece. The support bodies may then look alike andone needs no special guide carriage support bodies. It is a particularsimplification that it is here just as easy to hang up or take down acurtain moveable with a pull system as is the case with a curtainwithout pull system. The locking point is well visible to the user,although a front attachment rod is practically always located just belowthe ceiling. A very good connection is obtained between the engagingpiece and the support body, regardless of whether the curtain is openedor closed. In particular the engaging piece cannot pivot upward withouthuman in terference because of the snap prongs. The engaging pieces canbe produced rationally. An engaging piece forms a guide for the cordline not attached to it, so that even if handled incorrectly the cordline always lies parallel to the other and does not .become entangled.Even when the cord has unintentionally become longer or shorter or whenone support body has forcibly been displaced in relation to the other,the curtain always closes in the middle. The engaging piece runs welland does not tilt. The device according to the invention can be producedin a'very flat construction, as is necessary for front attachment'rods,which only have available a few millimeters of free space to the ceilingof a room. If necessary, the sliding support body of the firstembodiment may be lock-engaged on the rib. These sliding support bodiesalso readily run around narrow bends. In the second embodiment the guiderib serves both to conduct the support body and to provide asatisfactory pull conduction.

What is claimed is:

1. Pull system for curtains closing in the middle comprising a plasticcurtain rod to be attached on ceilings, bearing at its front side afront attachment having a broad horizontal web and a rib on the frontthereof,

a pair of cord lines supported horizontally on said web's upper side bysaid curtain rod and extending vertically, grippable by the user,

curtain support bodies engaging said curtain rod and movable therealongand a pair of identical, unitary, plastic, driving engaging piecesadapted to be drawn in push-pull along said curtain rod by said ,cordlines, installed on the upper side of said pieces, one of which isfastened to one cord line and the other to the other cord line, bothsliding on said web,

said engaging pieces engaging and releasably locking with each of theleading one of said curtain support bodies to move said bodies alongsaid curtain rod on operation of said cord lines. 2. A pull systemaccording to claim 1 in which said engaging pieces have a portion whichextends over the front face of said curtain rod and locks with saidcurtain support body.

3. A pull system according to claim 1 in which said engaging pieces havetwo portions spaced apart about the width of said curtain support bodiesto permit said bodies to be positioned therebetween, each of saidportions having a prong directed toward the other and engaging saidcurtain support body thereunder.

4. A pull system according to claim 1, in which said engaging pieces areidentical and to one engaging piece one cord line is attached and theother cord line can run through it, while-to the other engaging piecethe other cord line is attached and said one cord line can run throughit.

5. A pull system according to claim 4, in which one cord line is securedto one engaging piece so as to be difiicult to displace, while the othercord line is immovably fastened to the other engaging piece.

6. A pull system according to claim 1, in which each said engaging piecehas a plate which rests on said curtain rod; said plate having twoupwardly extending eyelets in the area of the front of said curtain rod,two upwardly extending hooks in the area of the rear of said curtain rodand a third upwardly extending hook facing the front of said curtain rodabout in the center of said plate.

7. A pull system according to claim 1, in which said engaging piece hasa plate with recess therein which rests on said curtain rod and aportion of a lug which engages over said rib is engageablein saidrecess.

8. A pull system according to claim 1, in which said curtain rod has aguide rib thereon and said engaging piece has a saddle portion engagingover said guide rib, said cord lines being arranged between said guiderib and the rear of said curtain rod.

9. A pull system for curtain rods comprising:

a curtain rod,

a pair of cord lines supported horizontally by said curtain rod andextending vertically, grippable by the user,

a pair of guide carriages movable along said curtain rod, one of whichis fastened to one cord line and the other to the other cord line to bedrawn along said curtain rod thereby,

said curtain rod being wide and having curved portions divided bylongitudinal slots into flexible strips which are glued at opposed endfaces.

10. A pull system according to claim 9, in which between the strips, arib having a T-shaped profile is glued which lies with its long ribbetween the strips and engages said strips with a transverse portion.

11. A pull system according to claim 10, in which said transverseportion has said long rib upwardly projecting thereon.

12. Pull system for curtains, comprising a curtain rod,

a pair of cord lines supported horizontally by said curtain rod andextending vertically, grippable by the user,

curtain support bodies engaging said curtain rod and movable therealongand a pair of engaging pieces adapted to be drawn along said curtain rodby said cord lines, one of which is fastened to one cord line and theother to the other cord line,

said engaging pieces being adapted to engage and releasably lock withsaid curtain support bodies to move said bodies along said curtain rodon operation of said cord lines,

said engaging pieces have two portions spaced apart about the width ofsaid curtain support bodies to permit said bodies to be positionedtherebetween, each of said portions having a prong directed toward theother and engaging said curtain support body thereunder.

13. A pull system according to claim 12, in which each said engagingpiece has a plate which rests on said curtain rod; said tain rod has arib on" the front thereof and said curtain support has lugs which engageover and under saidrib, said engaging piece has a'plate with recesstherein which rests on said curtain and a portion of said lug whichengages over said rib is engageable in said recess.

1. Pull system for curtains closing in the middle comprising a plasticcurtain rod to be attached on ceilings, bearing at its front side afront attachment having a broad horizontal web and a rib on the frontthereof, a pair of cord lines supported horizontally on said web''supper side by said curtain rod and extending vertically, grippable bythe user, curtain support bodies engaging said curtain rod and movabletherealong and a pair of identical, unitary, plastic, driving engagingpieces adapted to be drawn in push-pull along said curtain rod by saidcord lines, installed on the upper side of said pieces, one of which isfastened to one cord line and the other to the other cord line, bothsliding on said web, said engaging pieces engaging and releasablylocking with each of the leading one of said curtain support bodies tomove said bodies along said curtain rod on operation of said cord lines.2. A pull system according to claim 1 in which said engaging pieces havea portion which extends over the front face of said curtain rod andlocks with said curtain support body.
 3. A pull system according toclaim 1 in which said engaging pieces have two portions spaced apartabout the width of said curtain support bodies to permit said bodies tobe positioned therebetween, each of said portions having a prongdirected toward the other and engaging said curtain support bodythereunder.
 4. A pull system according to claim 1, in which saidengaging pieces are identical and to one engaging piece one cord line isattached and the other cord line can run through it, while to the otherengaging piece the other cord line is attached and said one cord linecan run through it.
 5. A pull system according to claim 4, in which onecord line is secured to one engaging piece so as to be difficult todisplace, while the other cord line is immovably fastened to the otherengaging piece.
 6. A pull system according to claim 1, in which eachsaid engaging piece has a plate which rests on said curtain rod; saidplate having two upwardly extending eyelets in the area of the front ofsaid curtain rod, two upwardly extending hooks in the area of the rearof said curtain rod and a third upwardly extending hook facing the frontof said curtain rod about in the center of said plate.
 7. A pull systemaccording to claim 1, in which said engaging piece has a plate withrecess therein which rests on said curtain rod and a portion of a lugwhich engages over said rib is engageable in said recess.
 8. A pullsystem according to claim 1, in which said curtain rod has a guide ribthereon and said engaging piece has a saddle portion engaging over saidguide rib, said cord lines being arranged between said guide rib and therear of said curtain rod.
 9. A pull system for curtain rods comprising:a curtain rod, a pair of cord lines supported horizontally by saidcurtain rod and extending vertically, grippable by the user, a pair ofguide carriages movable along said curtain rod, one of which is fastenedto one cord line and the other to the other cord line to be Drawn alongsaid curtain rod thereby, said curtain rod being wide and having curvedportions divided by longitudinal slots into flexible strips which areglued at opposed end faces.
 10. A pull system according to claim 9, inwhich between the strips, a rib having a T-shaped profile is glued whichlies with its long rib between the strips and engages said strips with atransverse portion.
 11. A pull system according to claim 10, in whichsaid transverse portion has said long rib upwardly projecting thereon.12. Pull system for curtains, comprising a curtain rod, a pair of cordlines supported horizontally by said curtain rod and extendingvertically, grippable by the user, curtain support bodies engaging saidcurtain rod and movable therealong and a pair of engaging pieces adaptedto be drawn along said curtain rod by said cord lines, one of which isfastened to one cord line and the other to the other cord line, saidengaging pieces being adapted to engage and releasably lock with saidcurtain support bodies to move said bodies along said curtain rod onoperation of said cord lines, said engaging pieces have two portionsspaced apart about the width of said curtain support bodies to permitsaid bodies to be positioned therebetween, each of said portions havinga prong directed toward the other and engaging said curtain support bodythereunder.
 13. A pull system according to claim 12, in which each saidengaging piece has a plate which rests on said curtain rod; said platehaving two upwardly extending eyelets in the area of the front of saidcurtain rod, two upwardly extending hooks in the area of the rear ofsaid curtain rod and a third upwardly extending hook facing the front ofsaid curtain rod about in the center of said plate.
 14. A pull systemaccording to claim 12, in which said curtain rod has a rib on the frontthereof and said curtain support has lugs which engage over and undersaid rib, said engaging piece has a plate with recess therein whichrests on said curtain and a portion of said lug which engages over saidrib is engageable in said recess.